NaviGadget

Garmin just today announced that together with BMW Motorrad they have developed the new BMW Motorrad Navigator IV. This is a new GPS navigation system for motorcycles that is based on Garmin’s zūmo 660. The new BMW Motorrad Navigator IV takes Garmin’s navigation technology and adds BMW specific features such as customized mount, preloaded BMW dealer database, unique audio and Bluetooth handling capabilities.

Take for example the custom hardware which is a four-button motorcycle mount with quick-key functions for extra control and usability. The mount and GPS device are vibration-tested, waterproof (IPX-7), and designed to withstand fuel sprays and UV rays.

The rest of the specs should be pretty similar to zumo 660, such as the 4.3″ glove friendly touch screen, millions of POIs, and turn-by-turn, voice-prompted directions to the final destination. In addition BMW Motorrad Navigator IV’s A2DP Bluetooth wireless technology makes it possible for riders to pair their phone to a Bluetooth enabled helmet or handset so that they can safely talk on the phone or listen to MP3’s without having to remove their gloves or helmet.

BMW Motorrad Navigator IV is expected to be available third quarter of this year from authorized BMW Motorrad retailers in North America and Europe. No word on pricing just yet.

ALK Technologies just announced recently that their CoPilot Live GPS navigation system is now available for Android phones. You can already grab it from Android Market for your HTC Magic, HTC Dream or the new HTC Hero – for only $35.

With CoPilot the maps are stored locally on the phone, rather than relying on wireless internet which can be quite slow at times. However there are still some “Live” which utilizes the mobile Internet connection such as real-time traffic alerts, 5-day weather forecast information and a new location sharing service called CoPilot LiveLink.

Here are some features of CoPilot Live for Android:

• Scrolling menus and maps supports touch screen gesture recognition
• Turn-by-turn voice directions
• Widescreen portrait or landscape mode
• CoPilot LiveLink location sharing
• Direct dialling to POIs, location sending via text and photo navigation
• Safety camera alerts with free database updates

If you liked gemoate JR when we first talked about it you’ll be pleased to hear that there’s a hands-on review available now. The bottom line is this though:

Sturdy and accurate, it directed me right to ground zero for the caches I sought.

I guess you can’t go wrong with this. It only costs $70 anyways. Get it from REI.

Dell Mini 10 now has GPS option. There aren’t that many netbooks out there that offer integrated GPS functionality (Mio Litepad N890 is one) so it is good to see more companies focusing on making GPS available at least as an option.

Anyhow, the GPS hardware they have on the Mini is called Dell Wireless 700 and it is not only a vanilla GPS receiver. It actually has built-in WiFi positioning too which makes it suitable to use indoors as well. The chip is provided by Broadcom.

The Dell Wireless 700 uses Wi-Fi access points and Long Term Orbit (LTO)-based Assisted-GPS (A-GPS) technology to determine location information. It provides a fast, accurate and reliable location source to applications and services by leveraging the strength of each underlying position technology.

Wi-Fi Positioning System (WPS) can determine the location of Wi-Fi enabled devices. All Wi-Fi Access Points broadcast a signal beacon known as a MAC address, notifying nearby devices of their presence. WPS refers to the mapped locations of millions of Wi-Fi MAC addresses to pinpoint the device location. WPS is complementary to GPS. It works best indoors and in urban areas, while GPS is limited by physical obstructions of ceilings and tall buildings.

Another nice thing about the Dell Mini 10 with GPS option is that it comes with CoPilot navigation software which can provide turn by turn directions.

The extra GPS option will cost you $70, however the version this will be available on will also have the HD display at 1366×768 resolution which is a nice plus… read »

Good ol’ Mapquest has an iPhone application capable of providing driving directions. Called Mapquest 4 Mobile this app doesn’t look like it can provide dynamic directions – such as “turn right on Main Street”. But it is pretty much like taking directions printout with you in the car – just like you did in late 90s. Kinda retro – but it’s free.

Something to consider in case you’re not interested in the paid GPS navigation system apps for iPhone.

Now they have GPS navigation systems with OLED screens in Japan. Called DTN-VX003, and manufactured by Trywin this device has a 4.1″ touch display with 480×272 resolution and offers a spacious 4GB internal memory.

Other features include SD/SDHC memory expansion slot, 1Seg Digital TV tuner, FM radio, FM transmitter, and multimedia support.

Available in Japan for 44800 Yens… read »

It’s only been a few weeks since the new iPhone 3.0 operating system has been released and we already have a handful of GPS navigation system applications available/ or soon to be released. Let’s recap what we have so far:

TeleNav
Also known as AT&T Navigator this app is developed by TeleNav. Free to install, $10/month.

Navigon
Only European version of Navigon is out Costs $95. Works with no internet connection (maps are local). No monthly fee.

TomTom
TomTom is the biggest name in Europe when it comes to sat nav. They demoed their app with the release of iPhone 3GS but still no news from them.

Gokivo
Gokivo is from Networks In Motion. They have a lot of experience in this just like the rest of the names up here. $1 to install, $10/month for subscription. Here’s a review that says it doesn’t work so well.

Sygic
Sygic urrently available for South East Asia (Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand) for $80 and Australia + New Zealand for $65. No monthly fee.

Are we forgetting anyone? Also if you’ve been using any of these apps get in touch with us to get your review published here – even if it’s just a paragraph.

Hemisphere GPS XF101 is an add on to the field computer “The Archer” built by Juniper Systems of Utah.

It is a GPS receiver that integrates with the Archer handheld to provide sub-meter DGPS for location-based applications. It is lower power device so you can still use your handheld PC for a long time and is rugged enough to be even working in a pool.

Here are some features:

• Crescent GPS technology for superior sub-meter accuracy
• COAST Technology maintains accuracy during temporary loss of diferential signal
• Optional external antenna for additional accuracy
• Low power consumption conserves Archer battery power
• Easy to use, modular – connect to Archer and go to the feld

It looks like Nextar is trying to stay afloat in this economy by releasing GPS navigation systems fit for every budget. Their latest is the Nextar 43LT which has a 4.3″ screen and offers life traffic updates from Navteq’s RDS-TMC service (see coverage). It only costs $170.

Some other features of Nextar 43LT include SD card slot, 1.6 million POIs, and text-to-speech… read »

Garmin Dakota 20 is Dakota 10’s bigger brother. Announced at the same time Dakota 20 has pretty much the same appearance as Dakota 10 but when it comes to specs it hides a lot inside.

Priced only $50 more than Dakota 10, for a total of $350, you can expect the same impressive 20 hours battery life from Dakota 20. It also has a microSD card slot to store more stuff, like maps, a 3-axis compass tilt-compensated electronic compass, and a barometric altimeter. Also don’t forget about the wireless connectivity feature that lets you share waypoints, tracks, routes and geocaches wirelessly with Dakota, Oregon, Colorado and Foretrex devices.

If you’re looking for something bigger and more expensive you should check out Garmin Colorado or the Garmin Oregon series.

Wait until September for Garmin Dakota 20 to come out.